Fees for a refund anticipation check: are they worth it?

Many tax preparation services offer refund anticipation checks or “assisted refunds,” but are they worth the extra fees?

Justin McCoy is a Charlotte resident who says he considered getting an assisted refund in order to get his money faster.

“I’ve got bills to pay,” said McCoy. “I’m unemployed, so I definitely need the money.”

This year, the IRS is running behind. Tax filing started later, which means taxpayers like McCoy have to wait longer to get their refunds.

“Basically that caused a lot of problems for a lot of people, because they were expecting those funds to pay the bills,” said Najam Usmani, a Jackson Hewitt franchise president in Charlotte.

Given the delay, promises of quick cash can be very appealing.

“Oh yes. Most definitely. Because it’d be a way for me to get my money faster,” said McCoy.

Jackson Hewitt, H&R Block, and many other companies offer refund anticipation checks or assisted refunds. In some cases, they can help you get your refund before the IRS processes your return, but not always.

“Instant” refunds have been outlawed; it now takes one to three weeks to get an assisted refund. That could be slower than the IRS.

Then there are the fees. Reputable companies charge about $25 to $55 for the service.

“That basically is a convenience fee that the bank will charge for extending that money to you,” said Usmani.